Cooking Class with Chef Ivan Flowers: Lesson 18- More Chicken

Last week you learned all about the technique of braising and how to use it to make fabulously delicious chicken thighs. I thought I would stay on the subject of chicken again this week and cover chicken breasts.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are very healthy and cook quickly, but there is a problem - many times they are dry and flavorless. In this cooking class, I will teach you how to make succulent, juicy and flavorful chicken breasts.

Let’s get cooking!

This recipe will feed four people and you will need four, eight ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts with the tender out. The tender is that little extra piece of meat attached to the chicken breast. We want it removed so the breast will lay flat, this ensures even cooking. The breasts usually come this way at the market, but don’t be afraid to ask the butcher if you have a question. For this recipe we will marinate the chicken breasts overnight. This is the first technique we are using to create a super juicy piece of meat.

We marinate in buttermilk. Contrary to its name, buttermilk is low in fat. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left after churning butter out of cream. The buttermilk you purchase today in the store is tart and thick due to the increased lactic acid, it has much more than regular milk. It is also this increased lactic acid that helps tenderize the chicken as it sits in the marinade.

For the marinade you will need: one quart of buttermilk, three cloves chopped garlic, four tablespoons tabasco, one sprig rosemary, and 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns. Combine all these ingredients in a large container then submerge the chicken breasts in the marinade. Make sure they are completely covered by the liquid. Cover with plastic wrap and let them sit in fridge overnight.

Now that you have the breasts marinated, we are going to cook them so they are brown and crisp on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside. To cook the breasts you will need a large non-stick sauté pan, three tablespoons canola oil, two cups all-purpose flour, one teaspoon smoked paprika, one teaspoon granulated garlic, one teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

At this point, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Combine all your dry ingredients and then sift them. Why are we sifting them? This prevents lumps, which become clumps when cooked. No one wants a piece of chicken with a clump of uncooked flour on it. Once well sifted, place the flour mixture into a shallow baking pan. Next remove chicken from the buttermilk and make sure there are no pieces of garlic, herbs, etc. stuck to the breast.

On a side note, make sure you discard the marinade after removing the chicken. It is not reusable. Once raw meat has sat in a marinade, the marinade has become exposed to any and all bacteria that may be in the meat. We cook the meat which kills the bacteria, but if you reuse a marinade you are risking contaminating anything else you put in it.

Back to the breasts… Pat them dry with a paper towel and then put into the flour mixture. Flour both sides of the breast, making sure every part is covered in the flour. Then shake off all excess flour. What you want to achieve is a light dusting of flour, NOT a breading. Once all the chicken has been floured set aside and heat the canola oil in the non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat for about two minutes. Place the chicken in the pan and cook four minutes.

After four minutes, flip the breasts and place into the preheated oven. Cook in the oven for another four minutes. Remove chicken breasts from pan immediately after taking out of the oven. If you let them sit in the hot pan, they will continue to cook and you will risk burning them on one side.

Please let them rest at least three minutes before serving. Why? If you cut into them while they are still screaming hot all the juice will run out of the chicken and onto your plate. This means, once again, you will be left with a dry piece of chicken. Resting allows all those spectacular juices to redistribute back through the meat, so that every bite of chicken is juicy.

I like to serve these chicken breasts with a mixed green salad and some roasted new potatoes, but they are great with a wide variety of sides. They are also great in sandwiches. Also, this same technique of marinating overnight and then pan cooking with a dusting of seasoned flour can be used on pork chops. Use your imagination and create all kinds of wonderful dishes. As with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what creates delicious.

Chef Ivan Flowers brings 25 years of fine cuisine experience to Top of The Market, San Diego. Prior to becoming Executive Chef at Top of The Market, Chef Flowers owned Fournos restaurant in Sedona, Arizona, named a top 25 restaurant in Arizona. He was also Executive Chef at L’Auberge de Sedona, the AAA Four-Diamond, Four Star award winning restaurant. Flowers has created extraordinary cuisine for some of the finest restaurants in Arizona, including T. Cooks at Scottsdale's Royal Palms Resort and the Phoenician's Mary Elaine's and Different Pointe of View.